Pacific Environment Community funds Niue's solar power project

SUVA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The remote island nation of Niue will receive 4 million U.S. dollars from the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund for a significant national Solar power initiative.

According to a release from the Suva-based Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat on Friday, the Niue project for the "Design, Manufacture & Installation of Solar Power Grid Connected Generators & Battery Backed Power Stabilizer" anticipates annual savings of 137,000 NZ dollars and a reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by approximately 329 tons per annum.

Su'a Kevin Thomsen, the Officer-In-Charge of the forum, said in the release, "I would like to congratulate the Government of Niue for their successful application to the PEC Fund and commend them for their commitment to pursue renewable energy avenues, as outlined in the Niue Environmental Declaration 2007."

The Government of Niue will administer the project with technical assistance from the Niue Power Corporation and installation assistance from the Niue private sector.

Mr Paul Johnson, Niue's coordinator for the project, explained, "Our project will complement ongoing efforts to increase renewable energy supply through a target of supplying 65 percent of the peak load, which will result in a 15.4 percent contribution to Niue's total electricity supply from solar power."

Renewable energy currently accounts for 10.6 percent of the nation's peak load, 2 percent of the total electricity production, 2 percent reduction in fuel consumption and a reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 48.6 tons per year.

"A 200 kWp solar photovoltaic system (PV) will be instalLED directly to Niue's national electricity grid, at Tuila," said Johnson. "We will also install a battery bank to ensure an uninterrupted power supply that will stabilize the grid and allow for the installation of additional solar generators for the future. "

The Niue Environmental Declaration 2007 commits to pursuing a 100 percent renewable energy economy. "I wish the Government of Niue the very best in their endeavours to successfully implement their PEC Fund project," said Thomsen.

The PEC Fund is a commitment by Japan to provide approximately 66 million U.S. dollars to Forum Island Countries (FIC) to tackle environmental issues. Each FIC is provided with an indicative allocation of 4 million U.S. dollars to support projects with a focus on the provision of solar power generation systems and seawater desalination plants or a combination of both.

To date, the Governments of Samoa, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati and now Niue have successfully accessed the PEC Fund for national renewable energy and seawater desalination projects.